Portion Control with Meat

The original intent of PerfectPlate is to promote vegetarianism, however I want to look at in a different light. With the unique shape and design of the plate, it’s impossible to pile it high with food. This means eating smaller portions, perhaps a great tool for progressive weight loss. Yea, I’m battling the bulge on a daily basis and such mind tricks do help! Designer: Dave Wu

55 Comments

Smaller plates do the same thing more cheaply and with less of an in-your-face anti-protein message. In fact, I'd bet the plates as designed manage to annoy / offend vegetarians and meat eaters equally. Many vegetarians, after all, do not want to eat meat due to animal welfare concerns; putting a cutlet cutout on their plate reminds them of exactly what they are avoiding.

Successful weight control isn't a matter of what you eat, it's how much you eat.

If good design is achieved through being more expensive and annoying than alternatives, this succeeds.

Actually, this plate is not for the vegi, I just want to encourage people not eat too much meat, because most people still believe “vegetable + meat = perfect meal “, so I create a “meat cutout” in their meal plate

You may have wanted to remind people not to eat as much meat, but the whitespace just makes it look like something is missing. And what is missing is now meat. The bottom picture especially looks like an ad from a campaign for seafood.

I think Dave means that red meat in general is bad for you rather than inedible. If you don't understand the concept then I don't think it's really marketed towards someone who thinks anything other than meat is rabbit food. I get where the concept idea is coming from but it's obviously not meant for vegetarians, or for the “must eat meat” knuckle dragging cave man type. But I have to be constructive and although I admire the sentiment behind it, people who are trying to cut down on anything don't want to be reminded of what they are meant to avoid. I mean, I don't think anyone wants to eat just a plate of peas. Lovely idea in principle, just it doesn't work as a real world concept. Smaller fuller plates would be more efficient. And as far as “what is so bad about meat?”, if you don't know even a possible answer to that then I don't think an intelligent designers site like this is for you. I'm sure anyone with half a thought in their brain would think of the health and moral aspects to it, not to mention the ecological and environmental fallout.

Oh good sir, please do explain how I am stupid for not seeing reasons why meat is bad for my health. And this “moral” you are speaking of, who defines it? You do? I am eager to read your statement that will surely prove how half-thought I am.

LOL Calm down! I don't think anyone would need to actually explain why meat is bad for your health, it's a fairly common fact, like sticking your mouth over a hose pipe. No one needs to ask such things, they just know. If you can't see reasons why meat is bad for you then no one is going to make you see otherwise no matter how many facts are thrown out there. Ethics is just another point James was making along with ecological and environmental which you, along with everyone else who doesn't care, can argue until they're blue in the face. They're just facts he was stating, don't get so bent out of shape.

Try not to be so sensitive, they're just plates!!! He was actually being very constructive towards the designer whereas you just sound angry in both your comments. No one is trying to stop you eating dead things; close the internet down and go eat a burger or something quickly before you burst a blood vessel! :p

He made some very valid points that cleared a lot of things up. Another point I'd make is that no one would want to eat off plates where the food is just going to get stuck into little corners of the raised portions. How awkward would that be, and to clean!

Ha ha, wow. That's… that's not an ideal design. In fact, the first thing I actually thought when I saw these plates was “Wow, they've got a specific bit to put your lobster/fish on, that's neat!” Then I clicked through and actually read the description.

But yeah, this isn't the best method to wean yourself off meat, though. Use smaller plates, eat something like substitutes (tofu, quorn etc). This design is surely fairly wasteful – all that unused space!

@Bauski: There are obvious problems with the widespread consumption of meat; the carbon costs, possible effects on health, etc etc. There are things to be said for cutting down general meat intake.

That said, meat IS rather delicious. I doubt that I'd want to give it up any time soon, but I don't think that if I /was/ trying to cut down my (reasonable) intake, that I would want a reminder on my plate. I'd prefer to explore options for filling meals with no meat content. Or, you know, exercise more often, since that's the better way of keeping in shape.

Then go ahead and eat ecologically produced meat, that is not a mass-comodity but a valuable good. And then please also pay the adequate prize for it. Of course at the end of the month that might leave a slimmer budget for booze, iPads and all the other precious blessings of consumption. Or you can go and try to force a very narrow minded view on other people like James does and then be able to call yourself an intelligent design webiste visitor.

A narrow minded view was forced upon you? Where and what would that be exactly? I read his comment, he said about the health, moral, ecological and economical aspects to meat consumption in answer to a question you asked. You don't see what's bad about eating meat, so he along with Sarah and The Id gave you plenty of reasons. If anyone's view is narrow minded, it's yours.

Do you need him or me to “force our narrow minded views” on you and give you reasons why drinking and smoking are also bad for you too? How about knife juggling, if we tell you what's bad about that will you think that's narrow minded as well?

So the options are go with your method of eat nothing but cheap mass produced meat no matter the cost to my health, the animal, other people and the environment, so I have more money to buy those essential things in life like alcohol and ipads! haha. OR if I choose not do to that then I am narrow minded along with James…….well, you've convinced me, I'm converted!!!!

As for the environmental issues it's not the diet but the overpopulation of the world that is causing them. If we were a few Million people enjoying the crap out of life without any consequences. So if you want to solve any problems start at the roots instead retouching things on the surface.

And it is not fighting, I just don't want to leave these unsupported statements uncommented so that someone who reads them actually might think they are true.

You need actual examples that prove meat is bad for you, really?! Would you also like examples of how guns are dangerous too? Just look it up if you honestly are having trouble with facts you hear second hand. Research all the things everyone has been telling you for yourself. No one is making any false claims here. Just like if I said that cars have ecological and environmental concerns, if you don't believe it and want proof because you don't understand it….look it up!

Unsupported statements! haha, oh you do make me laugh, thank you. It's bizarre that no matter how much you call and orange orange, there's always someone who'll disagree and call it purple and say we have nothing to back it up. Yes, you're quite right. Everyone who reads these comments are going to say to themselves “meat is bad for you? I didn't know that. These people have no proof of this but I think they are true anyway”. Well done, you are truly a wise and intelligent man. Meat is good for you and there are no consequences what so ever, and if anyone says otherwise, they have no proof to back up their unsupported claims. They are simply narrow minded and wrong! Please spread your wisdom across the globe Bauski, we need more people like you so no one else thinks such stupid things.

You truly are a visionary, I will follow your teachings right now. I will first go eat steak everyday with no vegetables for as cheaply as I possibly can, then I will spend the money I save on booze and ipads. If the world and my body goes to pot because of it, who cares!

I won't bother to debunk “In good company” for two reasons: 1. He / she hasn't given anything to debunk except his / her opinion, albeit loudly and repeatedly. 2. This isn't a site for this discussion, but discussion of design.

What is interesting is a thread on Quora about 'banal design' that led me to realize that this wasn't banal design, but rather its antithesis. While I think the plates are a terrible idea to try to mass produce and sell, I think they succeed brilliantly at provoking conversation, as this thread shows. However, is that the realm of design or of art?

Cheers, Mike (knew a Vegan once that finally had her first natural period when she starting eating a little meat with her diet)

Not sure what point you're trying to make there, but any “vegan” that ate meat was not a vegan, just a mong. No idea what the 'natural period' wording meant at all. Your first comment was well received and made a lot of sense. This one however was like it was written by an entirely different person altogether and adds nothing, other than the provoking a conversation bit but that wasn't the design itself, just some stupid comments made. What the 'debunking' bit is about I'm also lost on. Shame really.

Good job Dave on the designs, albeit a few flaws but I can certainly understand the idea of getting people to cut down on the amount of meat they consume whether that be for their own health or weight or anything else. Nice idea.

I understand your comments. My friend was a vegan that in significant part because of her diet of 13 years was unable to have an un-induced period. When she took medical advice and included some chicken in her diet, she had a period without chemicals. I count her phone call to me of delight in the experience as one of the most moving things I've experienced.

I'll leave the debunking remark alone except for the following: humans have been omnivorous for millions of years and have teeth and digestive systems aligned to eating a combination of vegetables and meat.

Ah I see, she wasn't a vegan at all, just someone who didn't eat meat or dairy products for a while. There's a big difference between people who don't eat meat for health reasons and vegetarians, all you have to do is talk to a proper vegetarian or vegan to find that out. So she wasn't exactly 'converted' or anything! haha. Her health problems are just her on an individual case, as a whole not eating meat at all is a more healthy option as there are even insurance companies now that ask for less money from veggies as they are less likely to have health problems caused by nutrition and live longer. So the health debate on her alone getting 'better' through eating meat is a fruitless one. Roman gladiators were all vegetarian for that very reason, to be more healthy and fighting fit. I'm glad your friend getting her period was a moving experience for you.

Well, actually I don't want to call you wrong or anything for fear of insults flying at me or having heaps of false information regurgitated at me as hard core meat eaters usually do when their meat diet is questioned. But humans were and still are designed to be herbivores. The teeth and digestive systems you mentioned are primarily designed for cutting and digesting vegetation, I'm not sure who told you otherwise. Tell this to any meat fans though even when given rock solid facts and most will be met with childish and aggressive hostility due to their bias. I could list a bunch of scientific links to prove as such but feel free to look it up yourself. Meat consumption is taught to us as we are cultural omnivores, not natual ones. That is something that tends to be debated depending on your bias. I was neutral until I started looking it up, very interesting and fairly obvious really once researched. But that is a huge topic that has no bearing here.

I could talk a lot about banal design vs art. I don't think these plate designs were trying to be art, they are more banal if anything but they were not intended that way.

Keep doing what you're doing. Ignore all the comments here that mistake anecdotal evidence for science. Ignore the fear from petty people who are afraid you are going to take away their “right” to do whatever they want. Ignore the ignorance of comments such as “anti-protein”, as if protein were only found in dead animals.

Ah I see, she wasn't a vegan at all, just someone who didn't eat meat or dairy products for a while. There's a big difference between people who don't eat meat for health reasons and vegetarians, all you have to do is talk to a proper vegetarian or vegan to find that out. So she wasn't exactly 'converted' or anything! haha. Her health problems are just her on an individual case, as a whole not eating meat at all is a more healthy option as there are even insurance companies now that ask for less money from veggies as they are less likely to have health problems caused by nutrition and live longer. So the health debate on her alone getting 'better' through eating meat is a fruitless one. Roman gladiators were all vegetarian for that very reason, to be more healthy and fighting fit. I'm glad your friend getting her period was a moving experience for you.

Well, actually I don't want to call you wrong or anything for fear of insults flying at me or having heaps of false information regurgitated at me as hard core meat eaters usually do when their meat diet is questioned. But humans were and still are designed to be herbivores. The teeth and digestive systems you mentioned are primarily designed for cutting and digesting vegetation, I'm not sure who told you otherwise. Tell this to any meat fans though even when given rock solid facts and most will be met with childish and aggressive hostility due to their bias. I could list a bunch of scientific links to prove as such but feel free to look it up yourself. Meat consumption is taught to us as we are cultural omnivores, not natual ones. That is something that tends to be debated depending on your bias. I was neutral until I started looking it up, very interesting and fairly obvious really once researched. But that is a huge topic that has no bearing here.

I could talk a lot about banal design vs art. I don't think these plate designs were trying to be art, they are more banal if anything but they were not intended that way.